"Man! We can't find Xander anywhere!" Chip grumbled, dropping into a chair inside Rootcore. Vida sighed, dropping into the chair next to him, leaning against his shoulder and crossing her arms in frustration.
"This is most troubling, I can not locate his signal in the forest." Udonna said, looking into the Crystal half orb that rested in the center of the massive room.
"Udonna! You have a visitor!" Clare's voice came from one of the hallways, causing the Sorceress to turn around. Nick and Madison came in, Madison smiling as she carried a snowy white owl into the room. "He was trying to get through the Dragon's mouth." She explained. "I thought I heard Clare's voice?" Udonna asked, frowning as she looked to the hallway once more.
"Here." Nick said with a small snicker, offering Udonna a small white mouse.
"Oh dear!" Udonna gasped, quickly saying a spell that freed the poor girl from her newest form.
"Thank you Udonna! I was trying to conjure him up a meal…it didn't work." Clare frowned as the owl hooted appreciatively at her. "You're welcome anyway!"
"Your welcome my dear, now then." Udonna patted Clare on the head, then beckoned the owl to her. The owl landed on her outer arm, hooting quickly. "Oh my, slow down my friend." Udonna said to the bird, causing the Ranger's to look at her oddly. The powerful sorceress ignored their looks, locking her eyes instead on the yellow ones of the owl in front of her.
"We can talk to animals?" Chip whispered to the others, Nick shrugging at his question.
"Maybe it's only her." Vida answered, sighing and looking down.
The Rangers all looked equally guilty, they knew it was mostly their fault that Xander had taken off like he had. Vida looked especially guilty, which elicited a small hug from Madison.
"Hey sis, don't sweat it. We'll find him, and we can all grovel for his forgiveness." Madison said with a small smile, though Vida didn't look any happier.
"I just…we all have our own quirks, what makes his any different and a reason to make fun of him?" she grumbled, mostly at herself.
"Well he does ask villains to talk to him." Chip pointed out.
"Yeah and you wander around with a pillow case pinned to your shirt back, what's your point?" Madison shot back at him, making the Yellow Ranger blush and look down. "I get it."
"Oh no…" Udonna gasped, faltering a bit, the owl hooting and taking off to land on the alcove above the main entrance.
"What is it Udonna?" Nick asked, pushing himself up and watching the Sorceress.
"Xander's been taken!" she said, fear in her voice.
"Taken? By who!" Vida exclaimed.
"Necrolai. She captured him in the forest, and took him underground." Udonna's face had paled considerably as she leaned heavily against the Xenotome's base.
"Oh man, if he was taken down there…what are we gonna do!" Madison lamented.
"We'll get him back. He'd do exactly the same for us, even if it meant he'd get hurt or die trying. C'mon team, we got a friend to find." Nick quickly ran out of Root Core, the others following right after him.
"Do you think they'll find him?" Clare asked, sounding frightened as she helped Udonna to a chair.
"They have to, if Xander's not found soon, I'm concerned he'll be seriously harmed or…" Udonna looked down, not able to finish the sentence. Clare gasped, collapsing into a chair next to Udonna, a hand covering her mouth.
"Poor Xander…" she said quietly, looking to the half orb they were sitting by now, watching and hoping it would change soon and show them all to be well.
PRMF